Mayor proclaims October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Fort Morgan Mayor Ron Shaver shakes hands with Jody Strouse and presents the signed proclamation he read Tuesday night making October Domestic Violence Awareness Month in the city to Strouse and Alicia Fierro. The two women were representing S.H.A.R.E. Inc., a local nonprofit that offers services and support to victims of domestic violence and their families. (Jenni Grubbs / Fort Morgan Times)

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month in Fort Morgan, Mayor Ron Shaver proclaimed Tuesday night at the Fort Morgan City Council meeting.

"Domestic violence affects every person in Fort Morgan," he said, whether that is as a victim/survivor or as a family member, significant other, friend neighbor or co-worker to someone who has been through it.

The city's recognition of this awareness month "exemplifies the commitment to serving domestic violence survivors by acknowledging, invigorating and rededicating ourselves to the goal of eliminating domestic violence," the mayor's proclamation further stated.

Shaver also recognized the efforts of the nonprofit S.H.A.R.E. Inc. to work with those who have experienced domestic violence and offer them services.

The two women accepted the mayor's signed proclamation Tuesday night, thanking him for the recognition of the issue and the nonprofit's work to end domestic violence.

Fierro said that she and other S.H.A.R.E. workers are offering domestic violence training programs for the staff at the Morgan County Department of Human Services later this month, and they are visiting area schools to give age-appropriate programs about dating and violence prevention.

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They have already offered their Teen Dating Violence Awareness program at Wiggins High School, and they are scheduled to present it soon at Brush High School, Fierro said.

They also offer the "Safe Dates" program for middle school students, Strouse said.

The nonprofit S.H.A.R.E. Inc. was created in 1981 in Fort Morgan to serve domestic violence victims and their families in Morgan County and rural northeast Colorado.

It offers its services to people in both English and Spanish, including a 24-hour crisis hotline and response to calls to it. There is an emergency shelter, and S.H.A.R.E. workers and volunteers will help people affected by domestic violence with finding transitional housing.

The nonprofit also provides individual advocacy, hosts support groups, provides a children's program, accompanies people to court, offers help with protection orders and victim compensation claims, helps create safety plans, provides information and referrals to other resources and agencies and offers domestic violence prevention programs and trainings in schools and for agencies and organizations.

To find out more about S.H.A.R.E. Inc. or to get help with a domestic violence-related situation, visit https://sharemorgancounty.org or call the crisis/office line at 970-867-4444 or toll-free at 1-877-867-9590.

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